A Family Christmas
by jazzyproz
Summary: A quick little One Shot to say Merry Christmas! Set at the close of S3:E9, "Santa in the Slush". Happy Holidays to all!


**A/N. Hello and welcome!**

 **My family celebrates Christmas, and with all the festivities and family get-togethers, I have not been able to focus on editing Aggregation. However, this popped into my head at lunch the other day, and it basically just flowed without much editing…. So I let it… We didn't have a Bones Secret Santa this year, so we have been void of very many holiday fics, though I know there are definitely some out there! (If you haven't read it yet, you need to check out FaithInBones' Christmas fic. It's a 3 parter, and so well done!)**

 **Anyway, I felt that I simply had to write this one, since it was coming to me so easily.**

 **I ask you to go easy on the critiques of my editing…. I literally burped this up over 3 lunch breaks, so forgive me if there are mistakes.**

 **That said, I do look forward to hearing your thoughts as always, so please let me know after you have read it, what you think of it!**

 **Disclaimer…. Really? By now you should all know that I do not own anything to do with Bones…. I just claim these little tales as my own!**

Brennan waved back at her partner and his son as they stood beside the glowing Christmas tree in the falling snow, and she felt an unidentifiable, _though now a relatively familiar_ , emotion swelling in her chest

"I love my present, Booth." She smiled warmly.

"Merry Christmas, Bones." Booth couldn't see the details of her face clearly across the distance that separated them, but based on the characteristic tilt of his Brennan's head, he imagined the gentle curl of his partner's soft lips. He thought back to just a day earlier, when, in her office, his nerdy scientist coaxed him into a delicious kiss beneath the mistletoe. She'd hung the seasonal sprig a little too-willingly after Caroline challenged her to 'even the score' for the menial favor of securing the very trailer outside of which he now stood. He thought about the eager and nervous expression on her pale face as she closed the space between them while seeming to focus solely on his mouth...and the way she gripped his jacket lapels, holding him in place as she pressed up against his lips… _As if I would have pulled away_ … Silently rolling his eyes at the absurdity of such a notion, he squeezed his son's shoulder, inwardly thankful for Caroline's so-called _puckish side_. "Enjoy your family tonight, Bones. I'm proud of you for staying home for your dad…"

Just as she was about to answer, her father tapped her on the shoulder and whispered loudly. "Tempe? Why don't you invite Booth and his son to come inside for a while?"

Wrinkling her brow, she eyed her father suspiciously. "Hang on, Booth." She lowered the phone to her chest. "Dad, I thought you wanted tonight to be just family?"

"Well," he shrugged, knowing his daughter had feelings for her partner she hadn't yet realized. "He brought you a tree an' all… And he's your partner! He's _like_ family… To you, I mean. He is like family _to you_ …"

A memory from years past, of standing outside the Royal Diner while Booth knuckled her chin, assuring her that there was more than one kind of family, flashed through Brennan's mind. Appreciative that her father seemed to understand the closeness she felt towards her partner, even though she couldn't yet name that specific fondness, she eyed him carefully. "Are you sure? Wait, no, dad... I mean, I am sure he has plenty to do…"

"Honey, you won't know unless you ask…" His blue eyes twinkled mischievously. Pointing to the phone his daughter was still clutching to her chest, he encouraged her further. "Go ahead! Ask!" When he saw the doubt pass behind her eyes, the incarcerated man feared his independent daughter would freeze like a deer in headlights, and he reached for the cell. "Here, give it to me…"

"What?! No, dad!" She pulled her hand out of his reach and chuckled, suddenly feeling like a pre-teen getting her first phone call from a boy... Turning her attention back outside to where Booth waited patiently, she looked at the glowing tree and smiled, taking a deep breath. "Booth, dad wants you to come inside."

"Huh?" Suddenly weary of Max's intentions, Booth raised his guard. "Why? Tonight's a family thing… You know… For _your_ family…"

"Remember what you told me outside the Royal Diner?"

"Umm…" The agent had told his partner countless things outside their favorite hangout… "That time we went for coffee after my hockey game I told you to watch out for traffic 'cause you weren't paying attention…."

"What?! I _always_ pay attention!" She challenged him with playful outrage. "You get overly protective after your games, Booth… I think it's the excess testosterone your body produces while participating in anthropologically warrior-like activities and demonstrating dominance among your peers and counterparts in the law enforcement league…"

Completely ignoring her dig at his alpha behaviors, Booth grinned and subconsciously puffed out his chest. "You think I demonstrate dominance on the ice?"

 _Of course he would focus on that,_ she mused with an eye roll. "Pay attention, Booth… I swear, I think Parker has a longer attention span than you do…."

"Are you gonna leave him standing out in the snow all night, Tempe?" Her father pressed beside her, looking out at the attractively decorated tree, knowing that no man would decorate and haul a tree around the city on Christmas Eve for _just a partner_.

"Stop interrupting!" She growled impatiently.

"I didn't even say anything!" Booth defended himself, not understanding her annoyance.

Pulling her focus back to her best friend, she shook her head. "Not you, Booth, I'm talking to dad…" She closed her eyes in an attempt to regain her equilibrium. "Booth, the time to which I'm referring was when you met us down there, after Zach achieved his doctorate…"

Booth grinned. He knew exactly what she was talking about. _And_ he recalled the strong pull he fought that day when he wanted to lean in and kiss her… If there was one time in his adult life when he'd wished he could completely shoulder another person's pain and despair, it had been that day... He wanted to take away all the hurt that his partner had felt at being abandoned yet again, and leave her feeling lighter, less burdened, and perhaps most of all, loved. But he had settled, instead, for a slight tip of her chin and a tiny smile...the kind she seemed to save only for him. "I remember, Bones…"

"So, you'll come inside?"

"Yeah," he swallowed anxiety he didn't expect. "We'll be in once I pack up and move the truck… I'm not allowed to leave it here unattended..."

"Alright," she felt strangely pleased that he agreed to join them for their highly unconventional family holiday, and exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Thanks again for the tree. It's beautiful…"

B/B/B/B

When the prison guard opened the door to allow the Booth boys entrance to the tiny trailer, they were greeted by a loud cheer, most of the volume coming from the two little girls who absolutely loved the decorated tree that seemed to have magically appeared outside in the snow between the time they arrived for their unusual Christmas gathering and when Aunt Tempe received a phone call. Booth ushered his somewhat shy son into the room, sensing his six-year-old's anxiety at the unknown surroundings edging towards the surface.

"C'mon, Parks," he coaxed gently, "we don't wanna let all the heat outside, huh?"

Eyeing the girls who were standing next to an unknown person he assumed was their mom, Parker wondered who they were. All his dad had told him was that they were going to come into the little house and see Bones… The boy didn't understand that they were essentially in a prison, and he certainly didn't understand that the whole reason they were there was because Brennan was visiting her family… Parker wondered why his dad didn't warn him that other people, strangers to him, would be there...especially two little girls near his own age. The child stayed close, under his father's protection, moving his eyes warily between the two other men in the room, feeling an unrecognized sensation of jealousy that the person they were there to visit obviously had other visitors as well. When he finally saw his dad's partner, an unstoppable blush crept across his cheeks as she approached him, smiling broadly.

"Parker," Brennan squatted down so she would be eye-level with the small-statured boy. "The tree was beautiful, thank you so much for the gift." She opened her arms and accepted his more-than-willing embrace, swallowing the tingling sensation that flooded her body at hugging her partner's son.

"I only decorated the bottom… I couldn't reach the top…" He muttered softly, rubbing his fingers against the loose hair that rested on the back of her shoulders. "Daddy had to finish the top."

Smiling at his honest confession, she pulled back slightly and looked into the light brown eyes that reminded her of Booth every time she looked at him. Whispering, she assured the child, "well, don't tell your dad, but the bottom was my favorite part."

Flashing a Cheshire grin, Parker instantly relaxed against her inner knee as she continued to squat before him. "That wasn't your present, though." His tiny fingers toyed with the edge of the scarf she wore around her neck. "Your real present is at Daddy's…" Raising hopeful eyes to meet her pale blues, he tilted his head. "Are you still going away to Africa for Christmas?"

Biting her tongue from correcting his innocent question, and not wanting to contradict the false tale her partner had spun in trying to assure Parker he wouldn't be alone at Christmas, she didn't correct his assumption that Peru was in Africa… _That will be a lesson for another day_ , she thought silently. Shaking her head, she explained. "No. I had a change of plans. If I had left for my trip, I wouldn't be able to come here tonight to be with my family. So, I'm not going away this year."

Delighted at her altered schedule, Parker's smile beamed. "Awesome! That means you can come to Dad's tomorrow and open your present! I get to spend the whole day with him! Will you come? Please?"

Smirking at his enthusiasm, but not wanting to interfere in any plans Booth might have, she answered noncommittally. "Well, we will have to see. I'll talk to your dad about it and figure something out, ok?"

Nodding, he trusted the scientist implicitly. "Mm-hmm." Then, in a very typical Booth-fashion, he raised one side of his mouth into a teasing smile. "You're gunna love your present… I helped pick it out _and_ wrap it!"

Pushing up to her full height, Brennan chuckled. "Well, don't ruin it by telling me anything!" Taking his winter vest from his shoulders, she made him feel more comfortable. "Come with me. I want you to meet my nieces."

Booth had allowed his son a few minutes of private to speak with Brennan, knowing that over the past couple years, his boy had developed an undeniable fondness for the woman. In truth, he suspected Parker had an all-out crush on his beautiful partner, though he doubted that child understood the affection he felt. When Brennan immediately focused on his mini-shadow, he turned his attention to Max, who had quickly closed the distance between them.

"Booth," Max extended his hand, instantly pulling Booth into a bear-hug once he had the Agent's hand. "Merry Christmas. And thank you. That was a wonderful, generous gesture."

Slightly uncomfortable hugging the older man, Booth swallowed his objection and clapped Max on the shoulder firmly before pulling away. "Merry Christmas, Max. Sorry we couldn't get a tree for in here...but, you know, some rules can't be broken…."

"Nah, that was perfect… It was beautiful." Max watched as the agent who put him behind bars simply shrugged and nodded once in response to the compliment. He knew, however, that the driving force behind the gift was his daughter, even if Booth refused to openly admit to his feelings yet. "I, uh, heard, from a little birdie, _by the name of Caroline Julian_ , that you played an instrumental part in making all this possible…" He watched the no-nonsense agent's reaction as it flashed a split second of panic before fixing a well-rehearsed poker-face expression in place.

"What?" His voice cracked a little, forcing him to choke in order to clear it. "Um, no. This was all Bones' doing. She made the arrangements…" Not realizing they had been joined by Russ, Booth was startled when the voice interjected from behind.

"Well, there's no doubt you had _some_ influence on our little party." He chuckled and leaned closer. "Tempe added a new word to her scholastic vocabulary… One which she seems to like, because she keeps trying to work it into conversations...even into places it doesn't belong..." When he saw Booth's brow wrinkle, he clarified his meaning. "No way in hell would she ever refer to street clothes as ' _civvies'_... _**That**_ , I am certain, was _your_ influence... Along with Addis Ababa?" He cocked his head at Booth's stifled chuckle and lowered his own voice. "Why the _hell_ would you suggest I was in _Addis Ababa_?!"

"Hell, I dunno, Russ… Seemed like a good idea at the time!"

Resolved to accepting the FBI agent's role and influence in his sister's life, Russ simply extended his hand. "Merry Christmas, Booth. And thanks. For everything."

Torn between liking his partner's brother and despising the criminal elements of her family, Booth accepted the proffered handshake and nodded. "I'm glad you got to see your girls, man. I know how tough it can be not seeing your kids…"

"Yeah," Russ shook his head. "You, too. Tempe said that you didn't think you'd have Christmas with your son… I'm glad you two could come in and join us." Russ was honest and candid with the agent. While he had personal issues with the man who had locked him up, he knew that it could have been _much_ worse for him, and he knew that Booth was, in large part, responsible for him being housed where he could still be with family.

The three men all focused their attention on the children of topic and smiled as the girls showed their new friend one of the games they opened just moments before. Parker, it seemed, had quickly forgotten his shyness once the girls started vying for his attention, and Booth smirked, knowing his boy would soon become engrossed in whatever board game they were setting up.

Amy approached slowly, unsure if she was interrupting a conversation the guys we're having, but sensing an opening, she spoke up. "Agent Booth," she came to stand beside Russ. "Thank you for the tree. It was a lovely addition to our evening." She smiled warmly, still slightly uncertain of how she felt about the Special Agent. "Merry Christmas." She moved forward and, before he could back away, pulled him into a loose, friendly hug, instantly suspecting that he was not a very tactile person, given the stiff embrace he offered in return.

Booth was surprised when Russ's fiancé closed the distance, and his posture tensed, not at all expecting the hug. He patted her on the back politely and pulled away as soon as possible, brushing off the attention. "Merry Christmas, Amy. I'm glad you and the girls liked the tree." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "And please, just call me Booth. 'Agent' is so formal…"

Max watched silently as his daughter's pale gaze studied her partner and his responses to her family. Once she was certain all the formalities and 'thank you's' were spoken, she moved her focus to him directly. Not giving him a chance to recover fully from the awkward embrace he shared with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Brennan swooped in, grabbing his biceps and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. Max barely hid his smile as he watched Booth's arms move smoothly around his daughter's smaller frame, all the tension of the previous embrace quite obviously forgotten. Opting to give them a moment, he motioned to Russ and Amy, encouraging them wordlessly to follow him back over to there the kids were playing.

"I loved it, Booth." She spoke against the spot where his shoulder met his neck, taking a split second to inhale his familiar cologne. "We all did. It was perfect."

Smoothing his hands down her spine, Booth settled his open palms on the small of her back, holding her in place against his body. "I'm glad, Bones," his reply was soft, husky as he spoke into her loose curls. "And Parks was so excited when I told him we were delivering a tree to your family get-together… He was practically vibrating in his seat, he was so stoked."

Somewhat reluctantly, Brennan pulled back to look up into her best friend's dark eyes. "No one's ever done something so nice for me…"

Booth watched as a flood of emotions swirled behind her soul-swallowing eyes, and he felt a heavy thumping in his chest warning him that he was falling even harder. "Well," his eyes flicked down to the soft lilt of her lips before finding her pale blues once more. "You deserve it…"

B/B/B/B

"Oh my God!" Booth choked, his face distorted in repulsion as he glared at Max. Handing the mostly-full cup back to the man, he started fishing in his pocket for some hard candy. "What the hell _is_ that?!" Finding a pack of gum he forgot he had, Booth tried to offer a piece to Brennan, but was surprised to see she was still happily sipping from her Dixie cup as she sat on the sofa cushion between Max and himself.

Feeling his eyes on her, she grinned. "It's not so bad once you get used to it." She snickered at his disgusted expression and continued to finish her beverage.

"Aww, c'mon, Booth," Max whined playfully. "It's not that bad. Once Tempe finished her second cup, she actually started to like it." He smiled triumphantly as he eyed his daughter proudly.

" _Like_ is a relatively strong word in this instance, Dad. I said it's _not terrible_ … There is a difference." She chuckled and placed her empty cup on the little table.

Suddenly understanding the reason behind his partner's handsy-mannerisms towards him since his arrival, Booth felt one side of his lips curl upward, as if on their own volition. She had been touching his leg when she spoke, clutching his hand ever so briefly to gain his attention, and nice she even let her head fall against his shoulder when she laughed at something Max had said... He studied her for a moment, taking in the rosy blush filling her cheeks, the twinkle in her crystalline eyes, and her crooked smile… He adored her, there was no denying it and, since she didn't seem to mind his attention, he let his eyes roam freely. "Uhh, how many cups of that hooch have you had, Bones?"

The scientist's eyes watched Booth's lips as he spoke, and she found herself falling into the memory of the mistletoe still hanging in her office; she hadn't been able to bring herself to take the decoration down after Booth left her office, unwilling to wipe the memory clean just yet. Smiling, she ignored Booth's inquiry and turned to Max, making a revelation of which she had previously promised herself to never speak. "Do you know what we had to do to secure the use of this trailer, Dad?"

Max knew there had been a bet, of sorts, proposed by Caroline in order to obtain the acquiescence of the hardass ADA for their little family party. He didn't know the details, however, only that Caroline Julian said that as long as Special Agent Seeley Booth played his part in the whole deal, they'd have a Christmas to remember. "No, honey. I don't-"

"Bones!" Booth pulled her attention back to him and essentially away from the hardened criminal sitting on the opposite end of the sofa. Swallowing the panic that suddenly fluttered in his chest, he eyed the woman sitting between them with disbelief. "I uhh, I don't think Max cares about the boring details of getting the trailer…" He flared his eyes at her, hoping that just this once, she would actually concede to his wishes.

Of course...she didn't.

"Boring!?" Her brow wrinkled, creating the telltale little upside-down 'v' to appear between her eyebrows.

"Not that the," he fanned his fingers hopelessly, searching for an excuse, "you know, _the thing… That wasn't_ boring…"

"You certainly weren't complaining of boredom when you were stealing my gum!"

"What?" He lowered his voice and defended himself with a growl under his breath. "I didn't _steal_ your gum, Bones. You shoved it into my mouth!" His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Hell, I didn't even want any, if you remember correctly!"

"Why are you saying it was boring?" She ignored his retort and refocused, not understanding his discomfort.

"I wasn't calling it boring, I meant, you know, the whole intricate-negotiating-techniques that Caroline employs… We don't need to bore your father with _that…_ "

"Oh my God," she felt her face pale in sudden realization…

"What?" Booth was now suspicious of the expression that flashed across her face before she managed to school her features. When she didn't immediately answer, he grew instantly impatient. " _Oh my god_ , what, Bones?"

Turning back to face him, her large eyes threatened to swallow him whole. "You're embarrassed… What Caroline made me do embarrassed you… Because you don't see me like tha-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Bones," he cut her off, leaning close, suddenly forgetting that they were not sitting alone in his truck, but instead in a tiny room, along with six other people.

"And the mistletoe represents…"

"Stop."

"You don't want anyone else to know…"

He felt gutted at the vulnerable, lost look she was giving him. "It's not that… It's not that _at all_ , Bones…" He tried to get his thoughts straight, wanting to nip this pending explosion in the bud before it ignited. But he could see her genius wheels turning, and he knew they'd be spinning an elaborate tale so deep that she might very well retreat back into the Brennan-cocoon that he'd been so diligently chipping away at for the past three years.

Pushing up from the seat cushion, she looked at her partner, her expression fixed in a clinical, disconnected way that told those around her that she was not interested in continuing whatever conversation was underway. She turned to Max and smiled stiffly. "I'm sorry, dad," her posture swayed slightly as the alcohol she'd consumed flowed through her veins. "The story of securing this location will have to wait…" She licked her lips and started to collect her jacket from the seat where she had been sitting. "I am afraid I need to leave now…"

"What?" Max looked at his daughter in shock and then shot Booth an accusatory look that would freeze even the most hardened of criminals in their tracks. Softening his eyes, he looked back at Brennan. "Honey, Tempe," he stood up in front of her. "Wait. We still have 30 minutes left of our Christmas together… Besides, I think that you and Booth might be having a miscommunication…" He chewed his lip. "Not that I understood a damn thing either of you was talking about…" He muttered almost inaudibly.

Finally coming to his senses, Booth shot to his feet. "Wait," he grabbed her bicep, which was partially covered by the coat she was trying to pull on. "Just," he started tugging her towards the door. "C'mere, we need to talk." Looking at Max over his partner's shoulder, he nodded once. "We'll be right back. She's not leaving yet."

"Do not speak for me, Booth," she tried unsuccessfully to pull away from his iron grip.

"We're just gunna step outside to talk a sec…" Quickly turning his attention to Parker, who had stopped playing his game when he saw his father get up, Booth held up one finger. "Bub, you stay right here… Play your game ok? Me an' Bones are just going out here to talk for a minute, ok?" The agent barely registered his son's wordless nod of acknowledgement as he hurried to escort Brennan outside. He knew he had to stop her imagination before all the hard work he'd done over the years unraveled right before his eyes.

"Booth…". Brennan tried again, in vain, to extract her arm from Booth's firm grip.

"Wait, Bones, just…" His words were cut off when he realized they would not be alone outside; the police officer charged with standing guard of the trailer sat across the walkway, in an alcove beside an outdoor heater, reading a magazine. "Umm…" He jerked his chin at the cop. "Hey," he addressed the uniformed man. "We, ahh, just came outside to talk."

The officer was silent and shrugged as he nodded in acknowledgement before looking back down at his magazine. He recognized the man to whom he had most recently allowed entry as the well known FBI agent, Seeley Booth. And he knew, also, that the woman he was with was his attractive scientist lady-partner, Dr. Brennan. The guard's only concerns were the prisoners that were still inside the trailer, so he didn't need to pay much attention to the partners as they exited the trailer.

Perturbed at the guard's presence, Booth looked to the left, only see that there was another guard, seated outside another trailer in much the same fashion as their guard. He turned to the right, desperately seeking a place to talk, and he saw the empty yard between their trailer and the fence which had, just a half hour before, separated his Christmas tree from the Yard.

B/B/B/B

"Booth, this is ridiculous… It's cold out here... and you don't even have your jacket…"

"I'm fine. I just want you to listen for a minute."

"I could have listened just as effectively _inside_ the trailer, you know… There is nothing wrong with my hearing…"

"I wanted some privacy, ok?!" He was already frustrated with his partner, and he just wanted to be able to get through this talk. "Just…bear with me, huh?" Finally turning to face her, the agent sought out her cerulean eyes and reached deep for the courage he knew he needed. "Listen, just because I… I didn't want to discuss Caroline's little stunt with your father doesn't mean I found it _boring_ , or _embarrassing_ , or _unwelcome_."

Interrupting him, Brennan raised her hands in a defensive manner. "Booth there is no need to explain anything." Dropping her hands back down to her sides, she tried to hide the swelling disappointment she felt at his rejection. "I understand that you do not find me desirable in that way, and that the situation Caroline thrust upon us was unprofessional…"

"Stop talking, Bones…"

"No, Booth." She tightened the sash around her coat, more in an attempt to protect herself from exposing too much emotion to her partner than to keep the chill of the winter wind from invading her body heat. "I should never have agreed to the negotiation… I was blinded by the foolish notion that by giving in to her wishes, I would somehow be able to provide my family with a holiday celebration that would be memorable…" She sighed and looked away from his dark eyes. "It was very foolish of me…"

"Foolish? No," he moved a half step closer to her. "It wasn't foolish at all, Bones… It was kind; and generous," he reached for one of her hands, wrapping her fingers in his. "And selfless… You put your father's wishes before your own wants…" When she tried to pull away, he tightened his hold. "And you gave him and your brother exactly what they needed to help get through the holiday…"

"I jeopardized our partnership…" She sounded like a lost little girl who just realized her best friend was moving away.

"You didn't jeopardize anything with our partnership…"

"I tricked you into kissing me…"

Closing the sparse distance between them, Booth took a final step. "You gave me _permission_ to kiss you, Bones… There was no trickery involved."

"Booth…" She felt a flutter in her abdomen she didn't fully understand.

"If I didn't want to kiss you, I could have stopped you…"

"I was _very_ determined…" Brennan's ever-present competitive streak was shining bright.

Ignoring her not-so-subtle challenge, Booth pressed on. "I didn't want to discuss it in there, in front of your father, until after we had time to discuss it privately…."

"There's nothing to discuss. And it doesn't make sense that you wouldn't discuss it inside… It was only a kiss… It meant nothing," she lied unconvincingly. "It was sexless…"

"Bullshit," he muttered as he leaned closer, mesmerized by her eyes, which he knew were purposely avoiding direct contact as a defense mechanism. "And you know it…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She raised her nose stubbornly into the air, but her eyes still darted around, studying their surroundings, afraid of looking at his liquid chocolate browns… "I performed the task as challenged in order to get what I wanted…"

"Stop."

"It was _nothing_ , Bo-"

He swallowed his own name as it dripped from her perfectly-shaped, sweet lips, his mouth covering her's completely as his empty palm found purchase on her hip. His chapped, insistent lips moved over her's coaxing her to open for him, and he hummed in approval when she finally acquiesced. Sliding his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, he traced the edges of her teeth and tangled with her tongue as she greeted him. When he felt his partner's fingers loosen from his hold, he allowed it and slid his hand into a mirror position of the other, flexing against the curvy swell of her hip and pulling her close. Ignorant to the tiny audience watching them from the trailer window, he smiled into the kiss when he felt Brennan's arms circle his waist as she leaned into the kiss with renewed energy.

B/B/B/B

"What's Aunt Tempe doing with Mr. Booth?" Emma looked up at her mom with innocent eyes.

Before Amy could answer, Parker contributed softly to the conversation with a smile. "They're kissing," he answered while watching through the window. He didn't fully understand why he was so happy to see his dad kissing Brennan, but the child was _definitely_ happy about it. Turning towards his two new friends, both of whom were making disgusted faces while continuing to watch the couple kissing beneath the falling snow, he grinned. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone," he whispered loudly. "But mom says that my Dad loves Bones… He just doesn't know it yet…" Swiveling his attention back outside, he watched as his Dad and Brennan broke their kiss and rested their foreheads together while their frosty breaths rose into the air, evidence they were talking. "Maybe for Christmas he's gunna tell her…"

Placing a wide hand on Parker's shoulder to turn him away from the window, Max chuckled as Russ made the same move with the girls. "Well, I think that might be a little too much to hope for, Parker… But hey," he guided the children back to their game; allowing his daughter and her partner a moment away from the prying eyes of children, "I guess it doesn't really hurt to make a Christmas wish, right?"

Not appreciating his father's passiveness, Russ also encouraged the kids to get back to their game while eyeballing his father. "He's a _cop_ , Dad… And a _good_ one to make it worse! He caught you…"

"And he's good for Tempe… So _you_ butt out," he pinned his blue eyes on Russ. "She might be strong today, but one day she's going to need someone with Booth's loyalty and support… And besides…" He shrugged almost reluctantly. "I kinda like the guy… even if he did arrest us both…" His eyes flicked to Emma and Hayley as they once again sat around the little Trouble board game with Parker, and then he turned back to Russ. "And whatever you might think personally, we all wouldn't be together if not for his penchant for pushing Tempe beyond her comfort zone…"

B/B/B/B

"Why did you do that?" Brennan whispered breathlessly as she rested her forehead against Booth's. It was all she could do to not lean in and initiate another kiss, but her need for the truth overrode her baser instincts and simply gripped the sweater hugging his waistline.

Tilting his head, he rubbed his nose against hers quickly, fisting her coat so she wouldn't pull away. Making eye contact at such close proximity would make him go cross-eyed, so he didn't try, he just kept their faces touching. "You wouldn't stop talking…" He expected a retort, so he chuckled, making it obvious to her that he was not saying it to be mean. Pulling back, he met her questioning eyes. "You get these ideas… these notions inside that brilliant...beautiful brain of yours… And sometimes you just plow forward without listening to anything to the contrary…" When he knew he had her attention, he brought one hand up to her face, tracing the simultaneously sharp and soft curve of her jaw. "That kiss meant more than you're giving it credit for, Bones… Please don't deny it…"

Swallowing thickly, Brennan blinked slowly as she inhaled. Opening her bright eyes to his, she let a smile form on her lips. "Parker invited me to your apartment tomorrow... for presents…" She tilted her head. "If you are not opposed to my visit, perhaps we will have a chance to discuss our views about mistletoe at some point during the day?"

Satisfied with her suggestion, Booth nodded with a smile. "Yeah." He started to turn her back towards the trailer, knowing their time was running short with her family. "Or… If you're up to it, when we leave here, we can grab a bite to eat at the diner… And then Parks and I were gunna go home and decorate our tree… Maybe you wanna join us this evening...?"

"Well," she allowed him to usher her back up the stairs while trying to remain nonchalant. "I guess I _should_ get some dinner… I have had three and a half cups of my father's festive holiday sunshine…"

Snorting a laugh as he reached for the doorknob, he glanced sideways at her. " _Moonshine_ , Bones…" He opened the door and placed his hand on her lower back, escorting her back inside. Speaking quietly, he reiterated. "It's Max's festive holiday _moonshine…_ Not sunshine…"

 **Postscript A/N**

 **I hope you enjoyed this little side trip into one of JazzyMuse's holiday meanderings. And yeah, before you call me out on it, I am aware that Brennan hadn't watched Booth play hockey at this point in the series, but hey, we're writing Fan FICTION here, ok? Go with me on this one...it flowed, so I wrote it…**

 **I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, no matter what holiday you may or may not observe. I thank you all for your encouragement throughout the year and I hope you have a very happy, healthy and safe 2016.**

 **peace, my friends… May it one day be a way of life for all of us.**

 **~Rose aka 'jazzy'**


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